ALBANY (Georgia) (REUTERS) - Track and field star Alice Coachman, who overcame segregation to become the first black woman to win a gold medal in the Olympic games, has died in the US at the age of 90.

Coachman, who won her gold medal in the high jump at the 1948 summer Olympics in London, died on Monday at a hospital near her home in Albany, Georgia, according to Albany State University.

“Alice literally set the bar with her accomplishments at the 1948 Games, but Olympic champion is only part of the incredible legacy she leaves behind,” United States Olympic Committee chief executive officer Scott Blackmun said in a statement.

“Alice Coachman Davis has inspired generations of athletes to be their best and she will be missed.”